Port of LA, Major Shipping Companies Switch to 24/7 Operations Amid Supply Chain Issues

In a speech Wednesday, President Joe Biden announced the Port of Los Angeles will move to 24/7 service in order to process long backlogs of incoming cargo. The Port of L.A. joins the Port of Long Beach in switching to a 24/7 schedule; those two ports handle roughly 40% of incoming container traffic to the U.S. Global supply chains have struggled to keep up with a surge in demand for goods as economies recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Biden said the move will boost the time spent unloading container ships by 60 hours a week. UPS, FedEx and Walmart have also reportedly committed to 24/7 work hours to help remedy the supply chain crunch.

Outlets on all sides covered the announcement prominently Wednesday, with many framing the supply chain issues in the context of COVID-19 and the upcoming holiday season. Many across the spectrum also highlighted a Labor Department report that said nearly 3% of the U.S. workforce quit their jobs in September. Some coverage from right-rated outlets painted the overall economic situation as more dire by describing inflation and federal spending concerns alongside the supply chain news. Headlines from the right were also more likely to mention the operation's 24/7 nature. Some reports from left-rated outlets framed the general supply chain issue as indicative of major flaws with global shipping systems.